By Chevaun Jackson
In 2007, Tom Ford launched an eponymous menswear line, which has become a favorite of red-carpet stars with clients including actors and even athletes. So it is no surprise that only three years later Tom Ford introduced his women’s side which, according to Ford, had always been part of his long-term plan. He debuted his women’s line with a super-exclusive showing at his Madison Avenue store just a few weeks ago with models including Lauren Hutton, Julianne Moore, Rita Wilson, Lisa Eisner and Beyoncé. He took the time to make this line a personal experience as Ford talked guests through the entire collection, describing each piece in detail, all the way down to the gold-dipped feather earrings— an honor indeed.
Many of the clothes seemed to be inspired by the women who wore them; Hutton wore an ivory silk trouser suit with peak lapels, while Eisner sported a boho chic feather headpiece, hammered gold breastplate and a black column gown. Karen Elson wore a cobalt blue fringe dress. Moore wore a nude silk Georgette fringe dress; Wilson donned a glamorous black velvet evening column gown with her hair swept into an up-do, and Beyoncé, a black-fishnet, hand-embroidered gold pailette patterned dress.
Nearly 100 people crammed into the narrow ground-floor space of Ford’s boutique, vamping it up on the catwalk and striking a pose for the photographer.
The collection is for those of all ages and body types, as the women who debuted the clothes varied in both. Sadly, due to a strict “no camera or recording device” policy that was in place by Tom Ford it is unlikely you’ll see any photos of Ford’s spring/summer 2011 women’s collection popping up on the Internet soon. Also it was by far the most exclusive and hard to get into of the week.
Ford is as much a savvy businessman as a control freak, and it would seem he’s trying to keep it under wraps as long as possible for maximum effect. Photos of this collection will probably surface, finally, by the time Ford finally opens his long-awaited Beverly Hills boutique later this year.